ABOUT ANN HOLMES

Helping you communicate with confidence.

Hello, I’m Ann Holmes, a Manchester (UK) trained general medical practitioner and educator based in north-eastern France since 2021.

Having settled in France post-BREXIT and faced the painful reality that politics can play on one’s professional career, I have turned my knowledge and hard-earned experience of practising medicine in the British NHS to help international medical graduates of all specialities to improve, refine and gain confidence in their expression of English, my mother tongue.

Having had to take my French rapidly from high school to professional level and retrain myself, I understand some of the challenges adult learners can face with confidence and language acquisition, often when they’ve had previous negative learning experiences and the professional stakes are high. Starting afresh in another country and adapting to its systems and culture is never easy but with work and support can be exciting and hugely rewarding.

As a TEFL teacher and accredited OET coach with some experience of this, I can help international medical graduates build the solid linguistic bridges necessary for assimilation into their country of choice. Furthermore, as a doctor, I bring my unique medical experience, especially in regard to consultation skills, to create thoughtful, engaging, challenging and pertinent educational material that will help learners “hit the ground running”.

But that’s not all. I collaborate with businesses and educational organisations bringing my unique experience as a British doctor to create training material that facilitates the delivery of quality patient-centric care in English and minimises miscommunication risk. This year, in partnership with a noted Parisian medical education provider, I have developed and proudly delivered new supports focussing on the very practical management of English speakers in French hospitals and psychiatric facilities. A hugely rewarding challenge that I would relish repeating!

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see and hear students of all disciplines and abilities express themselves in English with a new-found confidence and ease. A smile conveys so much.

Can I help you? Whether it’s exam orientated coaching you’re looking for, or another collaborative educational project that my medical expertise could be of assistance in, please do get in touch… I’d love to hear from you.

Dr Ann Holmes